Game wicket device



1952 J. M. PRENTICE ETAL 2,533,493

GAME WICKET DEVICE Filed May 4, 1950 2 SIIEETS-SPEET l INVENTOR.

By 781, r7 14 Jan. 22, 1952 J pRENTlCE EI-AL 2,583,493

GAME WICKET DEVICE Filed May 4, 1950 2 SHEETS- -SHEET 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT:- OFFICE James M. Prentice, South Hadley, and James- Robert Umbach, Longmeadow, Mass., assignors to The Electric Game *3 ompany, Holyoke, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 4, 1950,'Serial No. 160,011

Our invention relates to improvements in game apparatus and is directed more particularly to the provision of a novel and improved type of means for playing a game indoors on a rug or outdoors on a lawn, all as may be desired, and to an improvement in the playing devices for games of the ball and mallet type.

It is the principal object of our invention to provide a novel and improved construction whereby a lawn billiards game results which incorporates certain of the features of croquet, or similar lawn or rug games of the ball and mallet type.

There is the further provision of a new and novel construction whereby the playing of the ame with a maximum amount of ease and with a minimum degree of effort is made possible.

With the above primary object in view, it is another object of our invention to provide a construction of the above described character which is relatively simple and compact in accordance with the demands and desires of manufacturers and purchasers alike and which is not only attractive in its appearance and practical in its value but also reliable in its operation and thoroughly efiicient in its use.

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of our invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referredto in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a playing device used in the game of our invention;

' Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig 1;

Fig.3 is a side elevational view of the playing device shown in Fig. 1 in association with the ground with which it may be adapted for a particular. kind of use; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the game of our invention showing a plurality of the playing devices shown in Fig. 1 in operative relation.

In the above mentioned drawings annexed hereto and forming a part of thisspecification,

2 Claims. (01. 273-756) we have shown but one embodiment of our invention which is deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without'departing from the spiritof the invention.

Referring now to the different drawings more in detail; in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures and referring more particularly to the preferred form of our invention selected for illustrative purposes, we have shown a wall member which is comprised of a curving semi-circular shaped side wall 12 which extends vertically relative to the surface on which the game is played such as the ground or a rug. The side wall I 2 is so constructed that, when placed upon a rug or the ground, the member rests thereupon along its lowermost edge portion 13.

At the opposite extremities of the side wall It, curved end portions M are turned back upon the side wall proper so as to provide openings l5 therethrough for use as will presently be observed. The openings l5 may be otherwise provided if desired. r

A gate member comprises a pair of U-shaped wicket members 2! each having a pair of side arms 22 from each of which depends a downwardly extending extremity which has a tapered and pointed end 23 for insertion into the ground if desired.

A coupling member 24 is provided which serves to hold loosely together in adjacency one of the side arms 22 of one of the U-shaped. members with the adjacent side arm 22 of the other of the U-shaped members in a manner substantially as shown in Fig. 1.

The outermost side arms of the pair of U- shaped members are receivable I through the openings l5 of the pocket member, when the wicket member and pocket member are joined together in operative relationship whereby the side wall member I2 and the U-shaped members are disposed in parallel vertical planes, all as shown in Fig. 3. I

The centrally disposed side arms which are held together in pivotal relationship as to each other by the coupling member 24, as aforesaid, serves as a guide post around which a ball B must pass as it passes through the playing piece formed by'the combining of the member 12 and the members 2| and 2!. I

The ends 23 are insertable into the ground G or other outdoor surfaces when it is desired to play the game-on a lawn. thereby serving as stakes whereby the playing piece may be held fixed to the playing surface, during play.

When the device is used indoors on a rug or the like, the wicket members do not extend downwardly below the plane of the member l2, as in the case where the device is used outdoors. That is, the ends 23 do not extend downwardly below the plane of the. edge portion t3 whereby the rug or similar playing surface is not injured thereby.

The device is shown in operative position for playing indoors in Fig. 1, and in Fig. 3 the device is shown in operation position. 01? pl yma- Gill doors.

The centrally disposed side-arms are so spaced from the wall i2 as to permit a ballB to travel through one of the wicket members and over a greater portion of the area within the semicircular wall member 12 and out through the other of the wicket members. That is, to say, a p ssa throu h the p ket is. accomp ished as the ball B enters through, one of; the wicket members and out through the other of the-Wicket members.

The side wall. l2 being circular in shape, a ball passing through one of the wickets is urged in, a circular direction as it. hits the wall 12 whereby the. ball passes outv through the other of the, wickets.

The device of our invention having been recited, the rules for playing the game therewith will now be described. 7

The game is set upv on a rug or on the lawn. as may be desired, and a plurality of pockets are arranged as to. each other substantially as shown in Fig. 4, i.. e.. vwith sufficient space between pockets to provide a playing area within the confines of the area outlines by the pockets disposed on the edges thereof and the imaginary lines therebetween indicated generally by the 1 numeral 30.

The sequence of: play may be decided by any conventional means as by the throw of dice or the like.

The first player starts taking as many strikes at his particularcue ball 32 as he. is. allowed in accordance with the rules set forth below. When his turn is over; the second player repeats the process. The play continues, each player following the playerahead of him until the end of the game. There is a cue ball 32 pro-- vided foreach player in the game, as manyplay- 7 ingas may be desired.

The object of the game is for each player to score in each ofthe pockets in the proper order or sequence. The first player to score in all of the pockets wins the game.

The pockets are of different colors or combi-nations of colors such as a yellow pocket; a green 7 pocket, a yellow-green; pocket, etc. etc.

Keys balls 34 are brought into play and consist of a plurality of colored; balls, e. g. there ay be if d si ed a. red ball. a gr en alLand a yellow ball, as shown in Fig. 4.

These key balls are for the use of all players in. the game aswm presently be observed.

A player must first cause his cue ball to; strike the key ball or balls indicated, by. thecolor of the pocket he seeks to pass through, That. is, in order to gain admittance to the yellow pocket;

he must first cause his one ball to strike the yellow key ball the playing area. Togain admittanc n. he ot er. hand. the red... yellow nds-P rs a ke e mu t first. cause h s cue.

ball to strike in succession the red, yellow and green key balls.

When ready to pass through a pocket, a player successfully passes therethrough, or makes his move when and if he drives his cue ball, in either direction, through the pocket member in question. I

A player starts out in his turn with one allowed strike or shot. He may qualify for additional or earned shots. By hitting a key ball, the player earns. an additional shot. By playing through any pocket in either direction, a player earns an additional shot.

A players, turn ends:

a. When he fails'to earn a free shot, and b. When he causes his cue ball or any other players cue ball or any key ball to go out of bounds.

When a key ball goes out of bounds or when any cue ball also goes out, the player's turn is terminated and the out-of-bound balls must; be returned to the playing area.

While we have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited there.- to since changes and modifications particularly as to the rules of the game may be made therein without departing from the spirit and. scope of our invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof; The present embodiments are therefore to be considered; in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the. scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than-by the fore-- going description, and all changes which come. Within the, meaning and range and purview of equivalency of the claims are, therefore intended tobe embraced therein. i

What it is desired to claim and secure by LettersPatent of the United States is:

1. A playing device for a game apparatus of the ball and mallet type comprising in combination, a wall member having a semi-circular Ver tp cal side wall and arms receiving pockets at opposite extremities of theside wall, a pair of U-shaped wicket members each having a: pair of downwardly extending side arms, and a coupling member gripping into adjacency one of the side arms of one of said wicket members with the adjacent sidearm of the other of said wicket members, an oppositesidearm of each of said wicket members being receivable in one of the arms receiving pockets of said wall member; all adapted and arranged; with said wicket members being vertically disposed relative to at Playing surface to provide a pair of openings. through which balls of the game may be passed into, and out of; an, area bounded by said wall member and saidwicket members.

2, A playing device for a game apparatus. of the ball and mallettype. compr sin in combina.- tion, a wall member having, asemi-circular vertical sidewall and; arms receiving pockets: at o p site extremiti s, there f, a pair of u-shaped wicket members each having a pair of side arms, and a coupling member gripping together in, adjacency a sidearm of one of said wicket. members with the adjacer-itv side. arm of the other of, said wicket members, the outermost side arms of each of said; wicket; members being insertable through the arms receiving pockets of said well member, all. adapted and arranged whereby said wicket members are vertically disposed relative to a playing surface to provide a. pair of open.-

9,588,498 5 8 11135 through which balls of the game may be REFERENCES CITED passed into an a bounded by m wan The following references are of record in the ber and said w1cket members, the side arms of me of this patent: said wicket members having free downwardly depending pointed ends for insertion into the 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS ground as the side arms are projected downward- Number Name Date 1y through the arms receiving pockets of said 935,004 Burtis Feb. 21, 1911 wall member and below the plane thereof. 1,479,673 Phelps Jan. 1, 1924 JAMES M. PRENTICE. 1,715,365 Hofiman et a1. June 4, 1929 JAMES ROBERT UMBACH- 10 1,934,502 Husted Nov. 7, 1933 

